Is 2 hours 20 minutes enough at Atatürk Airport (Istanbul) if I have separate tickets?
I´m kind of worried about the transfer in Istanbul's Atatürk Airport. I have only 2 hours 20 minutes to until my flight onward to Manila.
I'm flying from Germany to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines and from Istanbul to Manila with Saudi Airlines (different airlines so I booked separate tickets).
If I do my check-in online for the flight to Manila, is that still enough time? Do have to go through Immigration or can I go straight to the transfer area?
Best Answer
You do have to pass through immigration, collect your bags, pass through security and re-check your bags.
140 minutes might be OK, a little tight but doable. If your nationality requires you to have a transit visa from Turkey then you definitely need a visa/eVisa for this. It is not a direct air-side transfer.
Run, Don't walk!
As noted in George's comment below, if you don't have checked baggage then you don't need to go through these steps. You can check-in online, have a boarding pass and go straight to your gate after passing security.
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Is 2 hours enough for a connecting flight Istanbul?
If your connection s within IST, two hours is a safe bet (though the official minimum is one hour). If you'll need to transfer between airports, anything less than four hours will make for a stressful connection.What is the minimum connection time in Istanbul airport?
You are required to be at the terminal at least 3 hours before your international flights and at least 2 hours before your domestic flights.How long of a layover do I need in Istanbul?
For layover in New Istanbul Airport, we recommend you always have a layover of at least 10\u201312 hours so you can enjoy your time in Istanbul's city center; however you choose to spend it. The recommended layover duration is higher because New Istanbul Airport (IST) is located far away from the city center.Is an hour and a half layover enough time in Istanbul?
From personal experience, 1.5 hours is absolutely fine for international to international connection at Ataturk airport. I've travelled via that airport many, many times; the shortest connection I have had was 50 minutes - and I made it just fine, along with my luggage.2 hour 20 minute timer (with end alarm, time elapsed and progress bar)
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Answer 2
As you have checked luggage, remember that the critical point is the check-in deadline, which is 1 hour before the departure time of your outgoing flight.
This means you have 1 hour 20 minutes to:
- exit the plane
- get to immigration
- queue at immigration
- go through immigration
- wait for your bags
- go through customs
- get to the departures area and find the check-in counters for you flight
- queue
- drop your bags
If everything goes as planned, this should be more than enough. However, if your incoming flight is late, it will quickly become very tight. Remember that if you miss the check-in deadline, you're on your own:
- unless you have a fare that allows changes (and you make the change before the check-in deadline), you will need to book and pay for a new ticket
- the return ticket may be cancelled as well
- if you need to stay overnight, any hotel, meals, or transportation costs will be on you
If you still can, I would recommend rebooking with a bit more time. 4 hours between scheduled departure and arrival should give you enough buffer. If not, check if you are eligible for travel insurance which would actually cover this situation.
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